Story Michael Diamond: Wondercoach (STORY CANCELLED..READ FOR DETAILS)

[Griddle Cakes]

Story Cancelled
Yerp, so it turns out that the new patch for Cricket Coach 2011 isn't compatible with old saved games, so I've had to cancel my progress in my old story and start anew. I'm not too sure what kind of story/diary/journal/dynasty I'll be starting, and it won't be until after this New Year's break (around the 3rd or 4th), so I'll be thinking about it while I'm away, including the layout, format, etc.

I'm creating a poll asking what you guys would like to see in a story, as I don't want to rehash something everyone's already seen/bored by, I'd like it to be different. As per usual it will be in CC11, so it's probably already a bit different, but I don't want to contribute "just the usual" kind of story.

Anyway, just vote in the poll (please!) and my story will hopefully be up and running by next week. Thanks to everyone already reading, and thanks to those who stick around to read the next one. More thanks to those who vote in the polls, after all, it's you who are reading it!

 

[Meet]

Best of Luck for your story.
It seems you have done pretty well as coach

 

[Griddle Cakes]

Two days into the season and already there's been plenty of player movement. Three fringe players in Rory Burns, Seren Waters and bowler Jade Dernbach have all been released from their contracts, as the club also welcomes batsmen Neil Edwards from Nottinghamshire and Eoin Morgan from Middlesex.

Opening batsmen Tom Lancefield and Virender Sehwag and bowlers Gareth Batty and Tim Linley have all been offered contract renewals. Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif has not been offered a new contract.

Such activity like this has killed all rumour that Michael Diamond was in the running for the now-vacant Zimbabwe coaching position.

 

[Griddle Cakes]

2011 Surrey Squad

Batsmen
Rory Hamilton-Brown (c) - RHB, OS
Michael Brown - RHB, OB
Neil Edwards - LHB, RM
Arun Harinath - LHB, OS
Tom Lancefield - LHB, RM
Eoin Morgan - LHB, RM
Kevin Pietersen - RHB, OS
Jason Roy - RHB, RM
Virender Sehwag - RHB, OS
Stewart Walters - RHB, RM

All-rounders
Zafar Ansari - LHB, LS
Matthew Spriegel - LHB, OS

Wicket-keepers
Gary Wilson - RHB
Steven Davies - LHB

Bowlers
Gareth Batty - RHB, OS
Craig Craven - RHB, RHM
Jade Dernbach - RHB, RFM
Simon King - RHB, OS
Stuart Meaker - RHM, RF
Andr? Nel - RHB, RFM
Chris Schofield - LHB, LS
Chris Tremlett - RHB, RFM

Players listed in bold have international caps.

 

[Griddle Cakes]

OCC: I "borrowed" some of treva's format, because I found it quite pretty.

LV County Championship, Division One
Match 1: Surrey v Somerset at Brit Oval

Surrey face their first division one opponent of the season after earning promotion in convincing fashion last season. Coinciding with the ongoing Indian Premier League season and the first Twenty20 International between England and Zimbabwe, Surrey will be without batsmen Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and first-choice keeper Steven Davies, although coach Michael Diamond has proven he doesn't need "international" talent to build a successful team.

NJ Edwards
A Harinath
R Hamilton-Brown (c)
SJ Walters
JJ Roy
MNW Spriegel
MJ Brown (wk)
GJ Batty
A Nel
TE Linley
C Craven

With Steven Davies away in the IPL and his understudy Gary Wilson battling an arm injury, Surrey have gone to batsman and part-time keeper Michael Brown to take up keeping duties. With the absence of Chris Tremlett through injury, it is no surprise Craig Craven is making his debut in the first game of the season.

ME Trescothick (c)
SD Peters
OA Shah
AV Suppiah
Z de Bruyn
JC Buttler
C Kieswetter (wk)
G Hussain
PD Trego
MTC Waller
CM Willoughby

It could be seen as ironic that Somerset are flaunting Zander de Bruyn to their opponents, who were reportedly interested in the South African all-rounder.

The Toss
On a beautifully sunny day and an unpredictably bouncy pitch, this is definitely a toss to lose. Marcus Trescothick wins the toss and elects to bat, putting faith in his openers to weather a new ball storm.

​

 

[treva]

No worries man. Good luck with this, could be a very interesting story. Unfortunately, being a Somerset fan, I hope you lose this first one

 

[Dutchmen]

You got some amazing players in your side. I see you've few members from Hampshire.

 

[6ry4nj]

Very intriguing squad. You had five pacemen total, but dropped that down to four this year? Very 70s on the subcontinent, that!

Is Batty a good bowler in the game? Both he and Schofield are irl batting all-rounders.

 

[Griddle Cakes]

Very intriguing squad. You had five pacemen total, but dropped that down to four this year? Very 70s on the subcontinent, that!

Is Batty a good bowler in the game? Both he and Schofield are irl batting all-rounders.

I still have five pacemen. Craig Craven was a signing in the pre/post-season, while Asif was dropped. And Gareth Batty is a great bowler in-game. *pulls up 2011 season stats* ... He took 64 wickets at 15.09 and a strike rate of 36.41. Amazing, really. He also picked up a couple 8-fers! Limited overs bowling, however, is a totally different story, but we don't talk about that...

 

[Griddle Cakes]

LV County Championship, Division One
Match 1: Surrey v Somerset at Brit Oval

End of Day One

The Brit Oval was full of all sorts of excitement on day one of the LV County Championship match between Surrey and Somerset. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Marcus Trescothick may have been doubting his decision just ten minutes in as his opening partner Stephen Peters fell for just one run. The former English test opener managed just 26 of his own before giving away his wicket. Owais Shah was the anchor of Somerset's innings, scoring 101 of his team's 188 runs at the fall of his wicket.

A fantastic effort from debutant Craig Craven, his 4-87 helped his team bowl their opponents out before stumps, though Neil Edwards and Arun Harinath had to negotiate six overs in the final 25 minutes of the day, finishing a solid day's play on 0-18.

Around the grounds:

County Championship Division One
YOR 8/327 v WAR YTB
DUR 242 v HAM 1/75
NOT 9/350 v NOR YTB

County Championship Division Two
LEI 179 v ESS 1/142
DER 325 v WOR 0/5
MID 265 v GLO 1/44

Second Test Match
BAN 348 & 6/300 drew SRI 342 & 2/187

First Twenty20 International
ENG 6/241 def. ZIM 7/190

​

 

[Griddle Cakes]

LV County Championship, Division One
Match 1: Surrey v Somerset at Brit Oval

End of Day Two

There were plenty of wickets and plenty of runs on day two of this exciting match. Neil Edwards and Arun Harinath started with a strong 120-run opening stand before Edwards and captain Rory Hamilton-Brown fell in successive deliveries. Edwards managed 54 by the time his wicket fell, while Harinath saw four more partners come and go during his 108-run stand.

Surrey managed to close out the day 16 runs in front with two more wickets in hand, with stand-in keeper Michael Brown just six runs from his 50, leaving an outright victory within the next two days for either side quite plausible.

Around the grounds:

County Championship Division One
YOR 355 v WAR 190 & 1/84
DUR 242 & 5/109 v HAM 221
NOT 362 v NOR 6/295

County Championship Division Two
LEI 179 & 2/84 v ESS 323
DER 325 & 6/0 v WOR 196
MID 265 & 0/33 v GLO 328
GLA 394 v LAN 3/253
​

----------

LV County Championship, Division One
Match 1: Surrey v Somerset at Brit Oval

End of Day Three

We are in for an exciting last day's play in this match, with Surrey chasing just 218 for victory, but with the pitch crumbling and turning, and wickets falling with relative ease, anything could happen. Bowling their opponents out before lunch, Somerset bat again, posting a respectable 259, though they would have preferred to match their first innings total of 300+, which would give their opponents a harder target to chase down, especially in these conditions.

Great bowling again from this Surrey attack, with wickets falling relatively closely, with the longest partnership an 80-run stand between Zander de Bruyn (52) and Jos Buttler (48). Debutant Craig Craven finished his first match with figures of 7/160, including a good twenty minutes at the crease which helped Michael Brown finish the innings with an unbeaten 55 before his team was bowled out.

Around the grounds:

County Championship Division One
YOR 355 & 1/70 v WAR 190 & 234 - Yorkshire won by 9 wickets
DUR 242 & 125 def. by HAM 221 & 9/147 - Hampshire won by 1 wicket
NOT 362 & 5/253 v NOR 353

County Championship Division Two
LEI 179 & 218 def. by ESS 323 & 1/77 - Essex won by 9 wickets
DER 325 & 209 def. by WOR 196 & 2/32 - Worcestershire require 307 runs for victory
MID 265 & 315 v GLO 328 & 0/27 - Gloucestershire require 226 runs for victory
GLA 394 & 2/164 v LAN 416

3rd Test Match
BAN 9/273 v SRI

Second Twenty20 International
ENG 5/215 def ZIM 151 - England won by 64 runs
​

----------

LV County Championship, Division One
Match 1: Surrey v Somerset at Brit Oval

End of Day Four

Somerset win by 1 run

The wickets tumbled as Surrey fell just two runs short of victory in the first match of the LV County Championship against Somerset. Stewart Walters managed a defiant 69 whilst carrying his bat to the ninth wicket. Victory seemed assured while Walters was at the crease, but when his wicket fell at 9/213, leaving bowlers Tim Linley and Chris Craven to score five runs for victory. The duo managed just three runs in two overs before Linley fell, handing a one run victory to Somerset, the narrowest winning margin by runs in first-class history, matching the Australians' defeat of the West Indies in 1992/93.


Around the grounds:

County Championship Division One
YOR 355 & 1/70 v WAR 190 & 234 - Yorkshire won by 9 wickets
DUR 242 & 125 v HAM 221 & 9/147 - Hampshire won by 1 wicket
NOT 362 & 9dec/340 v NOR 353 & 197 - Nottinghamshire won by 152 runs

County Championship Division Two
LEI 179 & 218 v ESS 323 & 1/77 - Essex won by 9 wickets
DER 325 & 209 v WOR 196 & 289 - Derbyshire won by 49 wickets
MID 265 & 315 v GLO 328 & 244 - Middlesex won by 8 runs
GLA 394 & 9/302 v LAN 416 & 5/164 - Match drawn

3rd Test Match
BAN 286 v SRI 4/249
​

 

[Griddle Cakes]

Clydsedale Bank 40
Match One: Surrey v Somerset at The Brit Oval

NJ Edwards
A Harinath
RJ Hamilton-Brown (c)
EJG Morgan
SJ Walters
MNW Spriegel
GC Wilson (wk)
GJ Batty
A Nel
TE Linley
C Craven

With Sehwag, Pietersen and keeper Williams all away in the IPL, Surrey still cannot play some of the premier batsmen, although they will be looking forward to showing off newcomers Neil Edwards and Eoin Morgan.

ME Trescothick (c)
C Kieswetter (wk)
OA Shah
AV Suppiah
JC Hildreth
Z de Bruyn
JC Buttler
JF Mooney
PD Trego
G Hussain
CM Willoughby

After their one-run victory over Surrey yesterday, Somerset will be looking to prove a limited overs advantage as well.

Pitch Condition: Pitch doing nothing, batting paradise.
Spin: Not much happening, good for batsmen.
Weather: A sunny day, good for batting.

Toss: RJ Hamilton-Brown won toss, elected to bat.

Surrey Innings
NJ Edwards c Butler b Willoughby 50 (68)
A Harinath lbw Hussain 10 (7)
RJ Hamilton Brown not out 113 (108)
EJG Morgan not out 36 (57)
Extras (b 0, lb 0, w 2, nb 6) 8
Total (for 2 wickets; 40 overs) 217 (at 5.43 rpo)
DNB: SJ Walters, MNW Spriegel, GC Wilson?, GJ Batty, A Nel, TE Linley, C Craven

Somerset Innings
ME Trescothick* st Wilson b Batty55 (59)
C Kieswetter? not out 108 (113)
OA Shah not out 50 (54)
Extras (b 0, lb 0, w 2, nb 3) 5
Total (for 1 wicket; 37.4 overs) 218 (at 5.79 rpo)
DNB: AV Suppiah, JC Hildreth, Z de Bruyn, JC Buttler, JF Mooney, PD Trego, G Hussain, CM Willoughby

On such a prime batting pitch, 217 was certainly a sub-par effort from the home side, but an unbeaten ton from new captain Rory Hamilton-Brown was the standout performance. Eoin Morgan also made his debut for the club, pitching in with 36 from 57 deliveries.

Somerset chased down the total with seemingly complete ease, sitting on 0/70 after just ten overs. By the time the first wicket fell, the visitors had 131 runs on the board at a rate of 6.72 rpo and it was captain Marcus Trescothick who fell, on 55. Wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter was the man of the match, finishing with an unbeaten 108, with solid backup from Owais Shah, who also finished unbeaten on 50.

Somerset win by 9 wickets.​

 

[Bevab]

Hope you seek revenge for the earlier loss.

 

[Griddle Cakes]

So it turns out the new update for Cricket Coach 11 isn't compatible with old saves, so I'm gonna have to start this one again I'm afraid. This time I'm going to start the game unemployed and try and work my way up the ranks. I'll create a new topic too, just to avoid confusion (hopefully).

----------

Actually I'm not too sure what kind of story I'll be starting, and it won't be until after New Year's (around the 3rd/4th), so I'll be thinking about it while I'm away also. I'm creating a poll asking you guys what you'd like to see, as I don't want to rehash something everyone's already seen.

As per usual it will be in CC11, so it's probably already a bit unique, but I'd like to contribute something different. Anyway, just vote in the poll (please!) and I'll get started after the 3rd.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Ah, unfortunate. Well, you can do a story which you feel will be comfortable for you.